VEGAN FETA CHEESE - 2 WAYS! Plantbased, Oil-Free & Gluten-Free

My cheese-loving friends, I have something special for you. Vegan Feta Cheese. You can have as much of this as you want. It is made with plant-based ingredients that are great for your body. I will show you two ways, one using tofu and the other using nuts, hopefully there is one here for you to try. The marinade is so tangy, nearly cheesy, and delightfully fresh it really is what makes this recipe. So let's hop to it so you can give it a try and then snap a pic and tag #artisticvegan (@artisticvegan77 on IG) so I can ooh and ahh in delight! Watch how to make it with me and/or see below.

Make tasty Vegan Feta Cheese in the comfort of your home. A healthy and mouthwatering lowfat plantbased alternative.  

Marinade:
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Milk of Choice
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice)
Zest of 1/2 Small Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp Oregano
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
OPT: 1 Tbsp Tamari/Soy Sauce 

1 Cup Cashews OR 1 Block of Firm Tofu (Organic, Non-GMO)

For the Tofu Variety:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place a steamer basket on top. Place the entire block of tofu as is, on the steamer basket. Place a lid on top. Steam for 10 minutes.
2. While steaming, whisk together the marinade, for this variety include the tamari/soy sauce. Set aside.
3. Allow tofu to cool to touch and slice into cubes or as desired (crumble etc.) Place the prepared and sliced/crumbled tofu in a jar. Pour the marinade on top.
4. Seal the jar. Refrigerate for 8+hours, the longer it goes the more flavorful it'll be. This will last for about 5 days or so in the fridge. Serve anyway you'd like! We had ours on a basic cucumber salad and used the marinade as our dressing. It was divine! This would also be great on the Greek Salad for the Gods. Have it with pita bread, falafal, salad, flat bread you name it. 

For the Cashew Variety:

1. Soak your cashews overnight until you can easily break them apart with your fingers. You can also boil them for 30 minutes for a quicker method. Drain and rinse the prepared cashews, crush them until they are chunky with a potato masher, pastry cutter or a quick pulse in the food processor.
2. Place the prepared cashews in a jar. Whisk the marinade ingredients less the soy/tamari sauce to keep it soy-free (coconut aminos could be used for similar flavor), and pour the marinade on top of the cashews. 
3. Seal the jar. Refrigerate for 8+hours, the longer it goes the more flavorful it'll be. This will last for about 2-3 days or so in the fridge. Serve as you desire! I roasted veggies in the extra marinade and poured the "cashew feta" on top, delicious! 

TIP: If you don't like the chunky results of the cashews, blend them in a food processor or blender with the marinade and process to refrigerate, it will be more like a spread. 

Which do I prefer? The tofu. It was so reminiscent of feta cheese. If you'd like me to give the cashew variety another go for a different more sliceable or crumbly texture, I'd be thrilled to play with these flavors again so let me know and I got you covered. :) SPECIAL THANK YOU to Renee Molinary for your delicious request for Feta Cheese. Do you have a request? Let me know! My best recipes come from your ideas. 

With love and light,
Christa